Damien's mental health history

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[Mary7875]

 I'm sure this has probably already been done before, but Exhibit 500 is such a mess to wade through that I thought I'd summarize it.  Obviously, not everything is included, but I think I've hit the highlights (or lowlights, depending on how you look at it).


Summary of Damien Echols’ mental health history


5/5/92.  Arkansas Dept. of Human Services:  Damien is in need of counseling and evaluation due to family history of sexual abuse to younger sister; behavioral problems related to lack of respect for authority/others.

5/7/92.  E. Arkansas Mental Health Center:  Client admits to having been suspended seven times this past semester for initiating fights at school and starting fires.  States in one fight he almost gouged out the victim’s eyes.

Clinical report based on psychological tests:  The behavior of this youngster is characterized by impulsive hostility...the desire to gain power and demean others springs from animosity and a wish to vindicate past grievances.  This teenager believes that past degradations may be undone by provoking fear and intimidation in others.  Cool and distant, this youth demonstrates little or no compassion for others. 

6/1/92 - 6/25/92.  Committed to Charter Hospital of Little Rock:  Admits to a history of violence and attempting to scratch out the eyes of a classmate.  There were major concerns that Damien was exhibiting disturbed thinking.  He has a history of extreme physical aggression toward others.  It was felt that he needed to be temporarily removed from his environment to provide protection for him and protection for others. 

Damien states, “I burn myself with lighters.  I have huffed gas and paint, used speed, marijuana, glue, and alcohol.”

9/2/92 - 9/4/92.  Committed to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Oregon:  Suicidal, threatening family, drug use.  Parental concerns regarding satanism, devil worship. 

Emergency Room report:  The patient denies suicidal or homicidal ideation at this time.  However, in talking with the family members, they state that he made it quite clear that he had thought of harming other people, i.e. was going to cut the throat of his mother and has said so in the past, and also made verbal threats to his father here at St. Vincent’s Hospital.

Admission Diagnosis:  Suicidal/homicidal ideation.

Mother and father state that he has sniffed propane, glue, gasoline and almost any other drug that is possible, but he denies that, especially over the last four years.

Physician’s Progress Report:  Because of Damien’s threats, both parents do not feel that they wish to have him return to their home.  They are frightened of him and what he can do, not only to them but to the other children who reside in the home (2 others).  Damien is to return to Arkansas by bus.

9/14/92 - 9/28/92.  Readmitted to Charter Hospital:  Damien reportedly threatened to kill and eat his father while in Oregon.  He admitted to sucking the blood out of a peer’s neck.

9/92 Progress notes:  Belief in devil worship, has agreed to threatening to “kill” others.  Bizarre behaviors.  Stated he had attempted suicide before and “wasn’t worried about trying again, because I know I can come back.”

Peers complaining of Damien making growling sounds at them.

Damien continuing to make bizarre sounds around peers, but where staff can’t hear him.  Continues talk of satanism.

Continues laughing strangely and getting peers to feed into his satanism.  Tries to keep staff from seeing him do anything other than what’s appropriate according to unit guidelines. Sneaky behavior, depressed mood, bizarre behavior.

Diagnosis:  Psychotic Disorder.

1/5/93.  Mental Health Center reopens case:  Reports self-mutilation, cutting self with knives.  Will “trance out” since 5th grade - doesn’t have to deal with what’s going on.  Says he thinks a lot about life after death--”I want to go where the monsters go.”  He admits being caught with satanic items, but denies cult involvement.

Is interested in witchcraft for the past 8 years.  He has tried to steal energy from someone else and influence others’ mind with witchcraft.  Describes self as “pretty much hates the human race.”  Relates that he feels people are in two classes--sheep and wolves (wolves eat the sheep).

1/13/93:  Damien reports that he’s very angry with family members and with other people who have “let him down”.  He discussed issues of power & control.  He states that he could make things happen. Affect and mood was flat. 

1/19/93:  Reveals history of abuse as he talked of how he was treated as a child.  States, “I just put it all inside.”  Describes this as more than just anger - like rage.  Sometimes he does “blow up.”  Relates that when this happens, the only solution is to “hurt someone.”  When questioned on his feelings he states, “I know I’m going to influence the world.  People will remember me.”

1/20/93:  Damien is an 18 year old, recently discharged from Charter Hospital.  He’s had three psychiatric hospitalizations.  Each has been associated with anger, thoughts of killing others, and thoughts of killing himself.

1/25/93:  Speaks of rituals, drinking blood, more involved in demonology.  Damien explained that he obtains his power by drinking blood of others.  He typically drinks the blood of a sexual partner or of a ruling partner.  This is achieved by biting or cutting.  He states, “It makes me feel like a god.”


Damien describes drinking blood as giving him more power and strength.  He remembers doing this as far back as age 10.  He wants very much to be all powerful.  He wants very much to be in total control. 

Damien relates that a spirit is now living with him.  The spirit was put inside him last year.  He indicates that a month ago, the spirit decided to become part of him and he to become part of the spirit.  This is reportedly a spirit of a woman who was killed by her husband.  In addition, he also reports conversations with demons and other spirits.  This is achieved through rituals. 

He denies that he’s satanic, seeing himself more as being involved in demonology.

2/5/93:  Damien is noted to have cuts on his right arm and hand.  Related that he cut himself as a way of permanently marking his skin.  Related feeling very angry yesterday  when running into previous girlfriend.  “I controlled it - I can do anything.”

5/5/93:  At times he is impulsive and does things that may be harmful to him.  He has impulses to do strange and harmful things.

5/5/93:  Christopher Byers, Steve Branch, and Michael Moore are murdered.         

[TJM]

Reading that again makes me feel so angry.  How can anyone actually read that and doubt that he killed the children?  The entire thing is so upsetting, but the main thing that sticks out in my mind is 'he wants to go where the monsters go'........well, I have a feeling that he will get his wish.

[TJM]

That is a great post Mary, thanks so much for it.  Makes it much easier for me to absorb.

TJM

[Mary7875]

That is a great post Mary, thanks so much for it.  Makes it much easier for me to absorb.

TJM

You're very welcome, TJM.  Doing the summary helped me, too, because you can see the deterioration in Damien's behavior over that period of time. 

Another thing...I think there was a hell of a lot more abuse (physical and emotional) going on in that family than Damien or Pam would admit to.  The one thing that struck me the most was how Damien kept everything inside, bottled it up, "tranced out" to get away from it all.  That was mentioned by almost every counselor.  That, and the anger.  You can only keep a lid on those feelings so long, and then something's gonna blow.

[TJM]

My feelings on that are that he claimed to keep everything on the inside, bottled up and tranced out.   His entire teenage life that I have read about was extremely full of acting out.   Kept everything on the inside and did not kill the children, and I believe every word he says.   ;) 

TJM

[solodadd]

that had to be ALOT of work.

thanks mary

[MachaSidhe]

I will have to look but does anyone else remember the statement made by either his mother or him or someone in his family that says when he is pissed he likes to go into the woods?

I don't remember which statement that was in and I could be wrong but don't think so.

Macha

[Mary7875]

that had to be ALOT of work.

thanks mary

About 6 hours and at least one pack of cigarettes, solodadd.  This board is slowly destroying me, HA!

[BlackAngel]

I can't bring it over because its all in Jpeg but heres the linke of Jack Echols statement.


http://callahan.8k.com/wm3/img/ajecholsdeclaration.html

Jan

[addict]

Who thinks they can pack Exhibit 500 into one page?  That's kind of crazy.

You left a lot out.  What you chose to include has everything to do with what you think 500 says and how you want others to interpret it along with you. 

For instance, you left out that Damien had no intention of sacrifice, nor would he ever.  How he should cut out the scare tactics and keep up the good stuff, or how he was not considered a danger to others at the time of discharge, etc. 

The point is anytime you try to condense 500 pages into less than one page, you must choose what to include and what to leave out.  Obviously.

[Icky Twerp]

Why not add those factual excerpts from the report here, addict, rather than painting a few broad paint strokes?

[TJM]

Well...................thats a good point that you made.  Kinda'.  I am getting the PreConception that you are a supporter 

She covered herself very well though when she stated:

""  Obviously, not everything is included, but I think I've hit the highlights (or lowlights, depending on how you look at it). ""

Not to mention that surely you don't think that any of us 'thought' that was the entire Exhibit 500?   I know that you couldn't be thinking that.  And although that was still a "GREAT" post, when any of us want to go back over anything, I am sure that Callahans would be where any of us would go, including Mary herself.    I hope that you are not insinuating otherwise.

TJM

[Storm]

That shows alot Mary, Thank you very much for getting that all together and posting it. Im sure it took alot of time and work, Thank you for workin g on that.

[BlackAngel]

TJM

Addict is a supporter but a nice one. The bottom line is Damien was nuts, read Jack Echols statement and even his mothers statement, he had mental problems and whether he denied some of them is not the point, if he was fcuking the people at the hospital then that still does not explain what his mother and father said about him.

[TJM]

Well, I wasn't 'meaning' to be 'mean'.  Honestly.   If it came out that way.........well, I didn't intend for it to.  I just attempted to say in a very very sweet way    that I am a teensy weensey tiny  bit offended by this quote:  "Who thinks they can pack Exhibit 500 into one page?  That's kind of crazy.
You left a lot out. "

Like duh, really?.     

We aren't, whats it called "spoonfed" over here and Mary wasn't trying to pass that snippit off as Exhibit 500.  Thats just how I took it personally.  I post things and know when I do it that I am setting myself up for good/bad comments, thats just the way it works.  When I decide that I can't take the bad ones...........then *poof* I will be gone.  I don't see that happening though.  Just saying. 

I did not mean to imply that I didn't like Addict or that she isn't a grand person, I am just as inclined to believe she is as not.  Although this post hit me wrong, it was still very pleasant, I will go so far as to say that. 

TJM